INDIANAPOLIS (LBM) – -The Willie Turner Dawson Award recognizes a minister’s wife for making a distinct denominational contribution beyond the local church and for modeling Christian character and service to others. Diane Nix fits the bill to a T.
A longtime pastor’s wife, Nix received the Willie Turner Dawson Award at the sold-out luncheon of more than 1,600 women, at the SBC Ministers’ Wives Luncheon, June 11, Indianapolis.
She has been a pastor’s wife for almost 41 years, serving alongside her husband pastor/professor Preston L. Nix, a professor of evangelism and evangelistic preaching at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary in Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana. The couple married in 1983.
They have two biological daughters (ages 26 & 28), two spiritual daughters (41 & 42), two special grands, and two sons-in-law. She and her pastor/professor husband served as lead pastor and wife in Texas and Oklahoma for 21 years. During the last 20 years, she and Preston, who have loved the local church, have served in 15 interim Pastorates.
For the past 14 years, she has hosted the SBC Women’s Expo, and for 19 years, Diane has served on the board to help plan the SBC Women’s Monday Morning session held each year at the SBC annual meeting.
In 2007, she founded Contagious Joy 4 Him, a global network of encouragement for ministry wives which offers retreats and has touched the lives of more than 400 women.
In presenting the award, Ann Iorg, wife of SBC Executive Committee President Jeff Iorg, said, “When I think of the women who have really invested their lives in helping women – pastors’ wives – be all that they can be, Diane is definitely in that group of women.”
Diane’s life bears the scars of addiction, abuse, loss, and dysfunction. She remembers being drawn to spiritual things. Searching for the One who could bring peace, she found her Savior, Jesus Christ! And soon after her salvation, she surrendered to ministry. She has never looked back!
Diane has lost all material possessions on two different occasions. Once by a house fire and another by Hurricane Katrina. She has survived a life-threatening illness, with aftereffects that still impact her today.
